Wrist supporting and guiding attachment for pianos and the like.



J. F. VOGEL. WRIST SUPPORTING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.10, 1913.

1,1 12,735. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. VOG-EL, OF NEW' "ZOE-I I, N. Y.

WRIST SUPPORTING AND GUIDENG ATTACHh-LENT FOE PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l:, JOSEPH F. Voonn, a citizen of the United States of Amer ca, and a resident of New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful ll rist Supporting and Guiding Attachment for Fianos and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrist supporting and guiding attachments for pianos and other keyboard instruments and machines, and comprises brackets adapted to be cured to the piano or other instrument, alongside of the keyboard thereof, and to support a suitable guide rod or rods, together with novel meansadjustably securing such guide rod or rods to said brackets.

The object of my invention is to provide means which will enforce proper position of the wrists of the operator and which is adjustable at will, and which may be attached to a piano or other instrument or machine without injury to such instrument or machine and which is devoid of projecting parts such as may cause accidental injury to the user or to other persons who may be near such piano or other machine.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying; drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows afront elevation of a piano with my improved wrist support and guide attached thereto. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of one of the brackets and of the slide thereon for carrying the wrist support proper, the view being a transverse section on the line 'w w of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the device on the line w."c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the bracket provided with means for the support of an upper wrist guide as well as a lower wrist guide, the view being a section on the line y-g of Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the construction shown in Fig. 4:, the section being taken on the line zz of Fig. 4.

My improved wrist supporting and guiding attachment comprises two brackets 1. each of approximate U-form, having a spread adapting them to be secured to the piano or other instrument or machine, one on one side of the keyboard thereof, the other on the opposite side of the keyboard Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'December 10, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914. Serial No. 805,778.

thereof. The upper arm of each bracket is provided with a cushion 2 of rubber, felt or other suitable soft yielding material such as will permit clamping of the bracket to the piano or other instrument or machine without injury to the finished or varnished surface thereof. In practice this cushion 2 is commonly attached to a block 3 of wood or other suitable material, suitably secured to the upper arm of bracket 1. It is not ordinarily necessary to provide for adjustmentof this block 3, in and out on the bracket 1. The lower arm of the bracket is provided with suitable clamping means, such as clamping screws 4, adapted to engage the underside of the keybed of the piano or other instrument or machine. I have illustrated the provision of two such clamping screws lon each bracket, but do not limit myself to any particular number of clamping screws, or to the use of clamping screws as distinguished from other equivalent clamping means. To insure rigidity of each bracket 1 and substantial parallelism f the two arms of each bracket, I connect the two arms of each bracket by a tie rod 5 or equivalent connection, such tie rod 5 being screw-threaded into the two arms of the bracket or otherwise connected in any other suitable manner.

6 designates a wrist-supporting rod to be supported by the two brackets 1. To provide for adjustment of this rod 6 in and out on the brackets l, I support such rod from slide-members 7 having slide-bearings 7 on the two arms of each bracket 1; and to provide for vertical adjustment of the rod 6 I support such rod from the slide rod 7 by means of arms 8 having slide bearings 9 on the slide rod 7, whereby said arms 8 may be adjusted vertically on said slide rods 7. Suitable clamping screws 10 or other equivalent clamping means are provided for securing the arms 8 in any postion to which they may be adjusted on the slides 7. No similar fastening means are ordinarily required for the slide bearings 7, since the natural cramping of said bearings on the arms or brackets 1 ordinarily suffices to hold the slide rods 7 in any position to which they may be adjusted; but the slide rods 7 may nevertheless be moved in and out on the arms of brackets 1 very readily, when this is desired. The vertical adjustability of the guide rod 6 by the means shown, permits vertical adjustment of that rod within the limits required for persons of different stature, and even permits the raising of such rod to such a height that said rod may be used to restrain undue elevation of the wrists, though more usually such rod will be used to restrain depres sion of the wrists. When desired, a second guide rod 11 may be provided above the guide rod 6, as shown in Figs. l and 5, and supported from the slides 7 by arms 12 similar to armsS' and likewise having sliding bearings on the slides 7 and this red 11 may be set at such height as to restrain undue elevation of the wrists. ll ien both guide rods 11 and 6 are to be provided, the arms 8 supporting the guide rod 6 will preferably be set inward such distance from the slide 7, as shown particularly in Fig. 5, that they may overlap the arms 12 supporting the guide rod 11 when desired.

A metal rod or tube is suitable material from which to form the wrist guides 6 and 11; and if desired such rod or tube may be enameled or otherwise finished so as not to be subject to oxidation or tarnishing; or, said wrist guides may he formed of wood, composition, glass or the like.

The novel bracket herein illustrated and described is claimed in a divisional application for Letters Patent Sr. No. 827,366, filed March 26, 191%, and therefore is not claimed herein.

What I claim is 1. A. wrist guide such as described, comprising two supporting brackets of ap proximate ll-form and adapted for connection to a suitable support, a slide member for each bracket having sliding bearing on the arms thereof and movable in and out along said arms, an arm for each such slide member iaving a sliding bearing thereon and movable therealong, and a ode rod connecting the said slide arms t the two brackets.

2. Br wrist guide such as described, comprising two supporting brackets of approximate lE-form and adapted for connection to a suitable support, a slide member for each bracket havin sliding hearings on the arms thereof and movable in and out along said arms, two arms for each such slide member, each having a sliding bearing on such slide member, and movable therealong, one of said arms being adapted to overlap the other arm, and guide rods connecting corresponding slide arms of the two brackets.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. VOGEL.

JOSEPH F Witnesses H. M. MARBLE,

PAUL H. FRANKIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent-s Washington, D. C. 

